


Smoke and Mirrors

by TheBringerOfDusk



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Morally Neutral Deceit | Janus Sanders, One Shot, Self-Reflection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:14:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25883428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBringerOfDusk/pseuds/TheBringerOfDusk
Summary: And it's simple really, but the truth is, he's a part of Thomas. If he had to explain it to a stranger, he'd say the Sides are like paint on a palette, each of them individual colors but also mixing together with a stroke of a brush, to create a painting that is Thomas, as is the brush, as is the paint itself.or,Deceit loves paradoxes.
Relationships: None
Kudos: 7





	Smoke and Mirrors

**Author's Note:**

> can you tell I'm really proud of that summary

Deceit, Lord of The Lies, Denial, whatever you want to call him, loves paradoxes. Of course, how could he not, when they were inherently about lying while telling the truth, and vice versa, and they're  _ fascinating _ , just like philosophy, and law, and poetry, and he could contemplate them for  _ hours _ . 

  
  
  


When a liar says "I'm a liar." are they telling the truth or not? He used to ask himself it every day, when he was younger (when they weren't  _ separated  _ when there was  _ five  _ of them when  _ they were equals- _ ), and it's a little silly to think about now, how he desperately tried to understand and explain a  _ paradox  _ (is _ he _ a liar or not?) with logic, which weren't supposed to be logical, but it kind of shows the circular reasoning he used to fall back to, when he was young and naive.

  
  


Logan would have been proud of him for detecting the logical fallacy.

  
  


Still, his love for paradoxes persisted, even when the people around him changed, and things fell apart. He wonders idly if that's why he subconsciously choose his title - Lord Of The Lies - even though he didn't realize the irony in it at the time. He was an angsty teen back then, and he probably just wanted to sound cool and edgy, but there's a reason he has kept it all these years.

  
  
  


And it's simple really, but the truth is, he's a part of Thomas. If he had to explain it to a stranger, he'd say the Sides are like paint on a palette, each of them individual colors but also mixing together with a stroke of a brush, to create a painting that is Thomas, as is the brush, as is the paint itself.

And, that's _why,_ even though he's _Deceit,_ and _Lying, and_ _Denial_ he simply _can_ be truthful, kind, creative and logical, and… anxious. Same as Roman spares the life of creatures created by his mind, same as Patton worries about being too strict or a nuisance, same as Virgil calms himself by focusing on the facts of the situation, as Logan quips insults back at Roman, and same as Deceit can be _generous,_ they all mix and flow, not strictly separate but part of a greater whole… 

  
  


…because all Anxiety, Morality, Logic and Creativity really are, are titles given to loose parts of Thomas's self, his Sides of sorts. But that's not all  _ they _ are, at least not anymore, because when they  _ chose _ to have a name, a real one, they  _ evolved _ into something else, outside the box they were put in as just the things they contribute to Thomas.

  
  
  
  


Into people, maybe, to be perceived by themselves, and others as such.

  
  
  
  


He has had many names. Lying, when they were kids and didn't yet understand the weight of having an identity. Deceit, later, when they had grown into teenage hatefulness towards everything and everyone, but they meant essentially the same thing -  _ inherently bad and wrong _ \- even if they didn't realize it as kids, and later, when they did.

  
  
  
  


But Denial, well, that ones more interesting. Because the thing about "being in denial" is that, in reality, you _do_ know something, but you choose not to acknowledge it, right? And what that means for _him_ , is that, whenever one of the Sides, or Thomas himself, chooses to ignore information to protect themselves (because really, it's a defense mechanism), he, being the embodiment of denial _, always_ knows the truth. Most of the time, he also chooses to keep it to himself, be it an unwanted side, or "shameful" thoughts, being privy to all of the Sides innermost insecurities, is kinda in the job description, if you think about it.

  
  
  
  


You could call him a "Harbourer of Truth" of sorts.

  
  


(But he's  _ kind _ , so he doesn't use it to his advantage  _ all  _ the time. Only when convenient.)

  
  
  


And this is where the  _ fun  _ part comes. If he's "Harbour of Truth" and "Lord of The Lies" at the same time, which one wins? Is he, encompassing truth, being truthful when he says he's "Lord of The Lies", or encompassing deceitfulness, is he lying when he says the same, making him a "Harborer of Truth"?

  
  
  
  
  


You could say, it creates a paradox.

**Author's Note:**

> ... or if he were being pedantic, being harbourer of truth doesn't mean he has to be truthful himself, and being lord of the lies, doesn't mean he has to lie every time, (see: paint mixing analogy) but details, details.
> 
> whooooooo okayyyyy short, sweet it's enough though hopefully, I don't really expect anyone to read this but it was fun to write!


End file.
